Wednesday, February 20, 2013

1,000 doilies

I blog for so many reasons.

I blog to record, to archive, to catalogue, to get it out of my system, to display, to tell our story, to journal, because I like to, because it's good for me and I blog to connect and be connected. I blog for community.

Blog land is made of wonderful little networks of like minded souls all connecting through our blog posts, our comments, swaps, clubs and different projects.

I've spoken before about starting my blog a few weeks too late to join in with Kirsty's quilt project all those years ago and I think I've been waiting for another big project like that to pop up ever since.

And then about a month ago, someone on instagram, I think it might have been the gorgeous Ellie Petalplum, sent me a link to Lisa Solomon's 1,000 doily project.

Lisa Solomon, a Californian mixed media artist, is working towards a piece of art made up of 1,000 (sen in Japanese) doilies.

In Lisa'a words;

1000 is a big deal in japanese culture. it's wrapped up in luck and hope and clearly excess. so... in thinking about luck and placing it into my lexicon, my vocabulary, my means of working. 1000 doilies it is. and because of my fascination with color and color theory... 100 colors of thread. 10 doilies in each color to get to my 1000.

So Lisa put the call out and sent those 100 coloured threads to crocheters all around the world. Two of them landed here in Daylesford.

I've committed to making 20 doilies for Lisa's work. 10 peach and 10 bottle green. So far I've made 6 (one since the pics).

The thread is super fine, the hook a minute 1.5mm and the doilies themselves are about 2-3 inches wide. Tiny!

I love this project so much. I love the thought that people all around the world are joined by these tiny doilies, that it connects us, that every one of us is putting aside time in our busy lives to crochet for another. And I simply cannot wait for the big unveiling. Imagine a wall of 1,000 coloured doilies.

This project is such a big part of why I blog.

And in case you were about to ask, no I haven't sewn in the ends of The Book Blanket, but it's not book dead-line time either.

Happy, happy Wednesday to you my friends.

Are you making? Creating? Alone? With others?
Do you blog for the same reasons as me? Or for something else entirely?

Thanks heaps for being part of my community.
I really, really appreciate I do.

Yes community is one of the most fantastic things about blogging - Creating a journal for my daughter to read in the future is another reason I do. I know I don't comment often but I always read your blog :)My favorite part is your "truthfulness" about life xoxo

What a beautiful project! I create on a daily basis so enjoy just taking a break to write about it, share something that inspires me or images from around our farm! I think it is very special that in this day and age, we can all voice our thoughts and be published at the push of a button! It allows so much more diversity and a way of connecting with other's lives that has never been experienced before. Blogging is raw - which I like! It is thoughts by every day people that haven't been polished off or changed to appear more sensational, like all the magazines and newspapers seem to do now. :-)

Wow, it sounds beautiful! And those doilies look so delicate. I blog because I need to write and document my life at the moment. It just seems to be the right medium for now. I also joke that it's my therapy, and I think it does allow me the chance to vent or mull things over. Xx

Teeny tiny hook and thread to make doilies, how perfectly gorgeous. My great grandmother use to crochet around embroidered doilies and I've been given a whole stack by my mum to use. Planning a post about them sometime soon. I do so admire the intricacy of your work.Anne xx

Gosh these are the prettiest doilies I think I have ever seen Kate. What an awesome project! I blog to connect with like minded souls although when I started I had no idea just how much good energy was floating around in blog land and what a lovely community it really is. x

I am creating log cabin blocks to make throws and window covers. After being ill all January and gathering myself for a new job this month, I wondered if I would ever get back to the machine. Answer to that query: Yes, today was the day and it felt Great !~!

I love the idea. In december2011 I have send 1à paper cranes to my blogfriends all over the world, one for every 100 to make the 1000 for luck, and good health and happinees in 2012. Can I join in the dollies project? I am not afraid to use a small hook, at the moment besides quilting I am crocheting a scarf , inspired by Sophie Digard with two threads of geziana wool thread and hook 1,75. Love to hear from you; (I am off to Holland for one week) !

What a great project. Love it can't wait to see more. I too blog for all your reasons, but the community I have found while blogging has to be the best thing about it. I love that so many other people love the same thing I do and want to hear more and more about it just like I do about their's. XX

Hi Kate. You are so clever. And so lucky to be included in great things. Im afraid i have lost my creative urge lately and Im really sad about it. Had lots of worries and although Ive tried not to let them they have killed my motivation. I turn to your blog everyday to see what you are up too. Your creativity is awesome!!! Love Julie

yay! I love these kind of collaborative projects. I made some stones for the magic feather project, which was oh so beautiful to participate in http://pearlandelspeth.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-suzanne.html nice doilies!

What incredibly beautiful work. You will have to link up to her finished art when all 1000 are returned!

I wish I had a crafting community around me. Most people think I'm so clever, but have no interest in learning or even trying anything crafty or creative. Thank goodness for the internet community, where I can inspire and be inspired on such a regular basis!

what a project. how lovely. I think collaborating make the creative community stronger. gets us out of out studio, homes bedrooms and sheds. I find my blogging drops off when I have many projects on the go. It's only when I look back at photos of the last week to go with my posts that I realise how many things are here now that were not last week.your crochet is beautiful

I'm so thankful that I read your blog...I got in on this project just in time! Wow! I'm so excited and just finished my first doily for Lisa last night. I just have a small blog out in blog land and am a stay at home mom with two beautiful children we adopted. We spend our days playing and I of course crochet. Thanks for sharing! Theresa

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.